Impossible Pork: What's it made of, how does it taste and is it healthier? – CNET

This story is part of CES 2020, our complete coverage of the showroom floor and the hottest new tech gadgets around.

Here comes the other faux white meat. Following up on the success of last year’s Impossible Burger 2.0, Impossible Foods this week at CES 2020 said it’s rolling out a plant-based pork replacement called Impossible Pork. The man-made pork substitute is designed for kosher and halal certification, the company said, and can be used in any recipe that calls for ground pork. Impossible Foods said a companion pork replacement, named Impossible Sausage, will roll out later this month in five test markets.

Launched at CES 2019, Impossible Burger 2.0 is now available in more than 7,000 Burger King locations across the US, as well as several dozen grocery stores. The plant-based burger is designed to act just like ground beef, with a similar appearance, texture and flavor — the burger chars when you grill it and even bleeds. Impossible Foods said its gluten-free pork and sausage substitutes are designed to offer a similar experience for lovers of ground pork. 

Here’s what we do — and don’t — know about the new pig-like food.

What is Impossible Pork made of?

Like the Impossible Burger, the main protein in Impossible Pork is soy, with sunflower and coconut oils serving as fat sources. The other ingredients contain binders and flavorings including heme, which according to Impossible Foods is the molecule that gives beef that familiar meaty taste and smell when cooked.

For Impossible Burger and Pork, Impossible Foods modifies a type of yeast to make the heme from soybean leghemoglobin. (The company is sensitive to concerns about genetically modified food and argues that human history is in part a story about modification of edible plants.)

Does it look and taste like pork? 

Our CNET editors had a chance to help prepare Impossible Pork dishes prior to CES and reported that the plant-based ground meat looked, smelled and cooked up like pork, with a mouthfeel you’d expect with pork.

Why is Impossible Food making plant-based pork?

While poultry is the US meat of choice, worldwide, pigs are the most popular source of meat. China, by itself, consumes more than half of the world’s pigs each year, making it an enticing target for plant-based pork.

While the company said it didn’t create Impossible Pork primarily for those who have religious restrictions to eating pigs, the pork substitute is designed to be kosher and halal.

Is Impossible Pork healthier than meat from pigs?

A four-ounce serving of Impossible Pork has 220 calories versus 350 for pork. Total fat, including saturated fat, is 13 grams for the fake pork and 32 grams for the real (depending on the fat content of the cut of meat). Protein is about the same: 16 grams for the plant-based version and 17 for the animal one. Where Impossible Pork has 0 milligrams of cholesterol, regular pork has more: 86 milligrams. But Impossible Pork tops out at 420 milligrams of sodium, while regular pork contains 80. 

Impossible Pork vs. real pork

Nutrient	Impossible Pork	USDA 70/30 Pork
Calories	220 kcal	350 kcal
Total Fat	13g	32g
Saturated Fat	7g	11g
Cholesterol	0mg	86mg
Sodium	420mg	80mg
Fiber	1g	0g
Protein	16g	17g
Iron	2.7mg	1mg

Any faux pork nutritional benefits, however, are just part of the story. The environmental cost of raising livestock is high: Livestock accounts for 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions, for example, and last summer’s Amazon rainforest fires were a result of clearing land for farming and ranching. Plant-based foods like Impossible Pork hold the promise of making a smaller environmental footprint with a more sustainable way of producing food.

What about Impossible Sausage?

We first got a peek at Impossible Foods’ preseasoned sausage last spring when the company teamed up with Little Caesars to offer the Impossible Sausage Pizza at six dozen restaurant locations across the west. 

Starting later this month, Impossible Food will work with Burger King to test the Impossible Croissanwich — a toasted croissant, egg, cheese and grilled Impossible Sausage breakfast sandwich — in five test regions: Savannah, Georgia; Lansing, Michigan; Springfield, Illinois; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Montgomery, Alabama. The two companies already work together: The Impossible Burger-based Impossible Whopper went on sale last year.

When will Impossible Pork be available?

Impossible Foods hasn’t said yet when its plant-based pork will appear in restaurants or grocery stores.

Where can I buy it?

We don’t know that either. The rollout of the Impossible Burger 2.0 was not a smooth one, as the company experienced shortages as it tried to keep restaurants across the country supplied last summer. While we aren’t hoping for a similar shortage with Impossible Pork, we wouldn’t be surprised if Impossible Foods keeps tight control on supply as it ramps up production.

How much will it cost?

Again, we don’t know. To set expectations, a 12-ounce package of raw Impossible Burger goes for $8.99 in stores.

Can I freeze it?

One more thing we don’t know. We are guessing yes, because you can freeze raw Impossible Burger, but the company hasn’t said.

What’s next for Impossible Foods?

Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world, but poultry is a close second. Impossible Foods said a chicken substitute is in the works, but didn’t say when it would be available.

For more in plant-based meat, see our comparison between Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat and how Impossible Burger stacks up to beef.

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.